Conventional particle beam. systems, such as electron microscopes, comprise an objective lens for focusing a particle beam onto an object under inspection and a detector for detecting electrons, which emanate from the object. The electron detector may be arranged either outside of the particle beam column close to the object or within the particle beam column. In the latter conventional electron microscopes, electrons, which emanate from the object under inspection, first enter the objective lens, then traverse the electron lens before being incident onto the electron detector. The electron detector may be configured as a scintillation detector.
However, in such a design, the electron detector is arranged at a comparatively large distance from the object. Therefore, it is a problem that only a comparatively small portion of electrons, which emanate from the object are incident onto the detector.
On the other hand, it is not a simple matter to arrange the scintillation detector of the conventional electron microscope closer to the object, the objective lens, too, has to be arranged close to the object. Therefore, the space, which is available in the vicinity of the object is limited. Accordingly, it is not easy to arrange the scintillation detector within the interior of the objective lens. Furthermore, it is difficult to transfer light signals which are generated in the scintillation detector to the outside of the objective lens.
However, it is possible to modify the conventional scintillation detector such that the scintillator detector comprises an electron receiving surface, which is arranged comparatively close to the object and a light exit face, which is arranged at a significantly larger distance from the object compared to the electron receiving surface. Thereby, it is possible to also place components, which process the light rays generated in the scintillator arrangement, at a large distance from the object. Therefore, these components do not have to be arranged in the limited space in the vicinity of the object.
For this purpose, the scintillator arrangement may comprise a light guide body, which guides light rays, which are generated, by scintillation events away from, the object. Alternatively, the scintillator arrangement may comprise an electron guiding body such as a micro channel plate, which guides electrons away from the object which may additionally also increase the number of electrons.